LOS ANGELES – Katie Hempen scored 16 of her game-high 19 points in the second half and dished out a career-high eights assists to lead No. 12 Arizona State to a 68-56 win over UCLA on Friday.
Promise Amukamara (11 points) and Elisha Davis (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Sun Devils (23-4, 12-3 Pac-12), who clinched a first-round bye in next month’s Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle with Friday’s win (first-round byes are awarded to the top four teams in the final regular season Pac-12 standings).
Sophie Brunner added a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with six points and three steals and Arnecia Hawkins (seven points) and Peace Amukamara (six points) came off the bench to combine for 13 points
ASU shot 53.1 percent in the second half as it outscored the Bruins 42-23 over the final 20 minutes to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit.
UCLA (10-16, 6-9) was led by Nirra Fields, who had 17 points.
After a sluggish first half in which they shot 33 percent, had 12 turnovers and allowed the Bruins to connect on 54 percent of their shots, the Sun Devils came out and scored 12 straight points in the first 2:35 of the second half to turn a 33-26 halftime deficit into a 38-33 advantage. Promise Amukamara (four points), Quinn Dornstauder (two points), Brunner (two points) and Hempen (four points) all scored during the rally.
The Bruins, who did not make a 3-pointer in the game and shot 34 percent in the second half, got within one possession a few times before a 9-2 run gave ASU a 50-41 advantage midway through the second half.
UCLA would stay within striking distance and was eventually able to get the deficit down to three after a layup by Lajahna Drummer made the score 57-54 with 3:50 remaining. However the Sun Devils, who were playing without starting forward Keley Moos for the third straight game, responded as back-to-back jumpers in the span of 48 seconds by Hempen and Promise Amukamara increased ASU’s advantage to seven, 61-54, with 1:51 remaining.
By the time UCLA scored again – a pair of free throws by Drummer with 12 seconds remaining – the Sun Devils had built their lead up to double digits.
Hawkins, who scored all seven of her points in the first half, and Davis, who also had seven assists in the game, combined for half of ASU’s 26 points in the first 20 minutes as the Bruins led by as many as nine twice in the first half.
With Friday’s win, the Sun Devils pulled back into a tie for second place in the Pac-12 with Stanford (20-7, 12-3). Both the Sun Devils and Cardinal trail first-place and seventh-ranked Oregon State (24-2, 14-1) by two games with three remaining to be played. Both teams also lead fourth-place Cal (19-7, 11-4) by one game.
The Sun Devils close out their final regular season road trip on Sunday when they take on USC (3 p.m. PT/4 p.m. MT). The game can be seen live on Pac-12 Networks and can be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.